Authors aim to carry out a bibliographic review as an initial approach to state of the art related to the quality of urban soils, as well as its possible link with human health. This concern arises from the need to highlight the consequences that soil could face, derived from the growth and aging of the population, as well as its predicted preference for urban settlement. Urban development may pose a challenge to the health of urban soils, due to degradative processes that it entails, such as land take, sealing, contamination or compaction. A healthy soil is the one which maintains the capacity to support ecosystem services, so it can provide numerous benefits to human health and well-being (carbon sequestration, protection against flooding, retention and immobilization of pollutants and a growth media for vegetation and food production). This article addresses threats facing urban soils, the strategies put forward by the European Union to deal with them, as well as the issues that require further attention. Greening cities could be a consensual solution, so authors analyze whether soils of cities are ready for that challenge and what resources need to maintain soil ecosystem functions. This review proposes to use made by waste Technosols for a sustainable green city. Although the use of Technosols as a type of soil is very recent, the interest of the scientific community in this field continues to grow.
Heavy metals in ecosystems affect human health through the web chain. Castellon Province is home to the largest ceramic production hub in Spain, with 94% of the country's total production. Agricultural soils in the vicinity of the ceramic hub were reported to contain potentially toxic elements (Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd) in 2008 and have since been subject to repeated amendment with biosolids (sewage sludge). The sample sites were revisited in 2019, and the chemical distribution of these metals reassessed. The distribution of heavy chemical forms was analysed using a sequential extraction protocol that fractionates these four heavy metals into five phases. The incorporation of biosolids for the past 10 years has changed the chemistry of the soil, leading to increased levels of some hazardous elements. The carbonate-sorbed, residual and reducible phases were dominant. From the point of view of compliance with regulations, levels of Cd remained elevated and have increased over the 10-year period.
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